A Pet for Christmas? Adopt, Don’t Shop

With so many people surprising loved ones with pets this time of year, the holidays are a prime time for pet adoption. The Kentucky Humane Society wants to encourage everyone to Adopt, Not Shop, for pets this season. There are great pets available at the KHS all the time, and in addition to the animals who would be so grateful for a forever home, there are also plenty of educational classes, and animal training and volunteer opportunities at KHS.

StyleBlueprint’s Louisville staff, consisting of City Manager Heidi Potter, contributing writer and photographer Krista Walker and three interns — the Potter children — all paid a recent visit to the Kentucky Humane Society. It was a welcome pause (paws?) in our busy days and especially gratifying to feel the love from these animals and to see all the love they receive while at the KHS.

Adopt, don’t shop, for your pets this holiday season at the Kentucky Humane Society.

We went for a photo shoot and left after two hours, all of us completely, utterly in love. (Let’s just say there were tears in the Potter car because we left empty-handed.)

StyleBlueprint’s Krista Walker is right at home here with Jack, a 3-month-old rambunctious beagle.

StyleBlueprint Louisville City Manager Heidi Potter holds the first of many adorable kittens. This little guy is Dale, who was sweet as can be and is very well behaved for a 3-month-old kitten.

These two little fluffy kitties were almost too photogenic.

All this intern wants for Christmas are his two front teeth and perhaps this kitten, Dale. (Dale got a lot of love because he was so calm.)

This sweet kitty’s name is Triana. Just a year old, she is ready to be adopted.

Krista holding her favorite relaxed little kitten, Donny, who is 3 months old. He loved to be held and was passed around quite a lot.

Diesel, an 11-month-old Great Dane, was such a crowd-pleaser and a sweet boy, too, although a little camera shy.

Lexis was the sweetest 1 1/2-year-old pit bull we’ve ever met. That face is just begging you to adopt her.

Everyone’s favorite from the KHS visit was this happy golden retriever, Willow, who has already been adopted!

Perhaps a new pet isn’t in the cards this year. There are still plenty of ways to help. KHS has a wish list of items they would love to receive, and they always accept monetary donations as well.

In addition to the wish list, they always need soft dog treats (used for training), cat litter, canned dog food, canned cat food and used towels, which are used for bedding. Donations of bird food (to feed the birds that entertain the cats in the cat colony room at the main campus), kitten milk replacement and bottles for orphaned kittens are always welcome, as well.

The Kentucky Humane Society does not receive tax dollars and relies on donations to care for more than 7,000 animals. They save every single adoptable pet and keep animals as long as it takes to find them loving, forever homes.

Want more information or would you like to look at the animals online? The KHS website is constantly updated and is a wealth of information. Click here to view it: www.kyhumane.org. You can also stop in the Kentucky Humane Society’s East Campus, located at 1000 Lyndon Lane, Suite B. They are open Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They can be reached at (502) 272-1070.

Make the holidays about bringing joy into an animal’s world. They all need a home and have so much love to give!